Something to Cool Could Happen: A Tom Holland Love Story

13: Uncle Ben

Tom felt like all he had everything and nothing. He couldn't forget who he was, no matter how hard he tried. But at the same time, who even was he? He slinked down to the floor, the gravity of the situation was too much for him to stand.

"Tom..." Jacob said softly, going over to him. He placed a hand on his back, trying his best to be of any help, even though it felt like he was trying to put a band-aid on a bullet wound.

"I'm pathetic." He sobbed into the floor, wanting to disappear.

"You're not—"

"No she's right! All I ever do is go around saying I'm Spider-Man! But then I royally fuck up 'with great power comes great responsibility'! The fucking Peter Parker principle! I'm a fraud..."

"To be fair that's not really included in your franchise." Tom uttered a miserable, high pitched groan. Jacob squeezed his shoulder. "But Tom, you are an amazing person. You do all this stuff for charity—you spent your birthday in a children's hospital! You're the best Spider-Man the world has ever seen! And Spider-Man isn't perfect. You don't have to be perfect, Tom. Olivia is just your...Uncle Ben."

"...What?" Tom sat up, tickled at the sentiment.

"Ok, it sounds weird when you say it out loud, but it makes sense! Think about it—Peter Parker blamed himself for the rest of his life for the death of Uncle Ben. It was his biggest mistake, but he couldn't undo it. And it hurt like a bitch, but it kept him going. It made him the legend that he is—it made him keep wearing the suit even when he didn't want to."

Tom shook his head, amazed that a smile could even be physically possible after all that's happened. His inner comic book geek was bursting: he was feeling his own origin story come together before him. "Jacob, I don't know how, but that made me feel better."

"God, I love Marvel." They laughed, picking themselves up. Tom rolled his shoulders back, trying to find his center. He then, almost like a zombie, headed towards the kitchen. Jacob followed, unsure what Tom was doing or thinking. He chuckled seeing Tom enter the pantry, pulling out the box of Swiss Rolls from yesterday. "It's a good thing they don't make those in the UK."

"It's fine, I deserve this." Tom said, stuffing an entire roll in his face. Jacob reached for the box, but Tom shooed his hand away. "Mine." He mumbled through the mouthful of cake.

"Don't make yourself sick."

"I don't think it could get any worse." He said swallowing. Jacob suddenly bopped the box out of Tom's hands. "Wha—hey!"

"Come on, Tom! This is your time to be the hero! So what are you gonna do? Hide in the pantry scarfing down high quality processed baked goods? NO!"

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Here. Call her. I know she blocked you, but she didn't block me." Jacob held out his phone.

Tom's eyes widened in horror. "Call Olivia?"

"Yes. Get some closure. Apologize—do something."

"I can't—"

"Well not with that attitude—" Tom, stressed out of his mind, picked up a pack of Swiss Rolls from the ground and began unwrapping it. "Put the Little Debbie down and hero up!"

"Ok! Ok...but it won't work."

"It will." Jacob said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Tom held the phone, his hand shaking as he hovered over the call button. He closed his eyes and pressed it, the line ringing making him almost taste the Swiss Rolls again. The world stopped turning when he heard her voice for the first time in months.

"Hello?...Hello?"

"Go on." Jacob whispered. "You can do this."

Tom breathed out roughly. "Hi, Olivia."

"Tom?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Tom—"

"Just wait—please...look I know you don't want to hear from me ever again but I just wanted to...say thank you. I just want you to know that you—you've made a better person—a better Spider-Man—and I'm sorry for how everything happened and I will never make the same mistakes I made with you with anyone else. You're my Uncle Ben—"

"Tom, what??"

"Ok, yeah I know that sounds weird." She laughed. He hadn't heard her laugh in so long. "Olivia you deserved better than me, and I hope you can forgive me one day. And we can be friends again."

There was a pause. Tom could barely breathe, but he didn't want to run and hide anymore. He finally caught his breath when she spoke. "It's never going to be the same, but I forgive you. I'm not ready to be friends with you, but I'm so ready to move on from this shit."

He laughed, feeling a weight lifting from his shoulders. "Me too."

"I have to go, but maybe when you're back home we can grab a beer and maybe try to patch things up? As long as Penelope doesn't mind."

"I'd love that and I know she wouldn't mind—wait what?"

She may have not been there, but her laughter filled the place from over the line. "Jacob's been filling me in here and there—and let me just say it's been more entertaining than the sit-com I'm watching."

"Jacob." Tom seethed, pulling the phone from his ear.

"What? Me and Olivia are tight."

"Tom." Tom put the phone back to his ear to listen to her. "Whatever is going on, don't be mad at Haz. I know you guys are fighting, but no matter what he's always had your back. Trust me, you can't afford to lose him."

"Thank you." He started to tear up again.

"Now go get your shit together, I have work."

"Oh right—sorry."

"I'll unblock you so we can get that beer. You're paying by the way."

"Ok—" She hang up. "Wow. I can't believe—"

"Nah I knew you guys would come around—"

"No I can't believe you guys gossip about me!"

Jacob shrugged, laughing. "If only you knew the dirt I have. If the tabloids had five minutes to look through my phone, they'd have stories to last them at least half a year."

"Wow. That is a lot of dirt. What have you got on Zendaya? Anything juicy?"

"Oh, foolish mortal, one cannot simply have dirt on Zendaya. Anything I have on her is just further proof she's a queen."

They laughed, finally getting out of the pantry, leaving their demons (and Swiss Rolls) behind.